The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-05-30
AMATEUR MINSTRELS.
A Crowded House and Lots of Fun.

An exceedingly large audience was
present at the Hawaiian Opera House
Saturday evening to witness a perform
ance by the Honolulu Amateur Min
strels. A good many persons had to
stand. The programme opened with an
overture, after which number of songs
by the different members were sung.
The choruses were not as well rendered
as we have heard them, probably the re-
suit of insufficient practice. The jokes
and local hits were exceedingly good.
One of Bishops, which had reference to
a now celebrated breach of promise
suit, took immensely with the audience
few of the conundrums are here
given. Why is the Hawaiian Treasury
like well-regulated city? Because it
is always kept well drained When is a
bedstead not bedstead? When it is
little buggy. Why is the opium racket
like the back of Chinaman's head?
Because there is a long tail (tale) at
tached to it, and, says Harry Won Holt,
the Gazette" has got the que (queue).
The Old Folks Concert, in which
Bishop and Won Holt took the leading
parts, was intensely amusing The lat
ter took the part of female and created
roars of laughter by his falsetto singing
1t was one of the best things of the even
ing. A Negro sketch, interspersed with
wonderful" conjuring, was given by
Messrs. Armstrong, Won Holt and Bishop.
w. H. Hogs character song fell rather
saying. E. Leroy did some clever acts
on the trapeze, though he had narrow
escape from losing bis hold while sus-
pended by the feet.
The performance concluded with the
local burlesque, entitled "Our Navy"
1t was take-of on the Hawaiian navy,
and very good one too. The first act
was scene on the deck of the Kaimiloa,
showing the sailors at work in charge of
Sam MaIkA, who was persOnated by
Harry Won Holt The latter was the life
and soul of the piece, and his witty say
ings in Hawaiian were much enjoyed by
those who understood the language.
Morse was the Captain and appeared in
fulldress. His orders were not generally
obeyed There was an abundance of
gin on board. One amusing feature was
''the Curio," better known round town
as "HOly Moses" who was on hand to
"appraise" the cargo. The makeup
was perfect. The music was taken from
4
joyable if the clarionet player had been
at the top of Punchbowh His instru-
ment was much out of tune.
The second act found the ship in the
tropics, the men playing at cards with
the Captain. A Minister Plenipoten-
tiary visited the ship and presented the
Captain with a corkscrew. "Moses"
was thrown overheard and then fished
out again.
In the third act the audience found
the officers and crew short of clothes,
the vessel having been wrecked on
desert island. The first lieutenant, how
ever, managed to preserve his spurs, a
knowledge of cavalry tactics being essen
tial on shipboard. They were hungry
and thirsty too. However, some gin
was found and they soon recovered their
wanted "spirits."
The piece was very well got up and
the large audience went away very much
satisfied with the performance. The
orchestra consisted of: Piano, Mr.. M.
H. Jones; violins, Messrs. Yarndley and
Berger, and flute and cfarionet played
by two band boys The Amateur Min
strels will give another performance on
Thursday evening next with changes of
programme.